http://www.1806.com.au/Whats%20On.html

September is a busy time in the bar calendar in Australia, containing the massive Sydney Bar Show, a two day extravaganza of international speakers, tastings, suppliers, competitions, and of course, the highlight of the show, the Australian Bar Awards.

1806 were nominated for three awards in 2008 and Sebastian Reaburn, bartender at 1806 was competing in the Bartender of the Year competition.
The nominations were for Cocktails List of the Year, Bar Team of the Year and for Lisa, Elizabeth and Sebastian for Operators of the Year.

The awards are a combination of peer judging, with a final decision made by industry leaders from media, suppliers, distributors, and brand ambassadors.
The award for Bartender of the Year is a fiercely contested competition spanning two days. It begins with a selection of the best bartenders in the country, this year topping at over sixty.
They must all complete a fifty question written exam.
The top twenty after the written test then participate in a blind tasting and bar service round.
The top ten from there are then able to compete in the final cocktail round on Day 1 of the Barshow.

For those that make it to the final ten, the cocktail challenge involves making two cocktails, using products from the major sponsor, Suntory.
A range that include Chartreuse, Cuervo Tequila, single malt scotches like Bowmore, Courvoisier Cognac, and Matuselem Rum to name but a few.
Sebastian Reaburn made it through to the to final ten and created two cocktails that contained almost the same ingredients.
Sebastian utilised Bowmore 10yr Old Islay Single Malt whisky, Yellow Chartreuse, and Carpano Antica Formula Rosso Vermouth.
The first drink, designed to be served before dinner was a classic Negroni style drink with a dash of Fee Bros Barrel Aged aromatic Cocktail Bitters and served straight up with a simple orange twist.
The Second drink, designed to be served after dinner, was a flip using the same three key ingredients, but the inclusion of a whole egg and a dash of sugar syrup.
This was shaken and served without ice in a Riedel whisky snifter and garnished with a few strands of saffron and a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.
The cocktails were called the Islay Elixer and the Carthusian Flip.

The Final cocktail challenge was conducted on the Mixology Stage at Barshow where competitors were given ten minutes to make and present their cocktails to a panel of six illustrious judges.
The judges for 2008 were Angus Winchester, Global Ambassador for Tanqueray 10 Gin, David Spanton, Publisher of Bartender Magazine and Organiser of Barshow, Gary Regan, International Cocktail writer and all round booze officianardo, Dale De Groff, New York's King of Cocktails, author and global cocktail mentor, Nigel Weisbaum, National Manger for the major sponsor Suntory, and Amy Cooper, writer for the Sydney Sun-Herald.
An phenomenal crew of international experts all in town for Sydney Bartshow and to support the cocktail industry in Australia.

The awards ceremony was held at the grand ballroom at the Hilton Hotel on the Evening of Day 1 of Barshow.
1806 were delighted to add to their win at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans the award for Best Cocktail List in Australia!

However, it was at the very end of the night that the announcement for the winner of the coveted Bartender of the Year was to be announced.
We are delighted to say that after twelve years in the industry, seven of them making cocktails in Melbourne, Sebastian Reaburn from 1806 was awarded the title of Bartender of the Year 2008.
This is also the first time that a bartender not from Sydney has won the award.

1806 can now proudly claim to have been awarded Best Cocktail List in the World 2008, Best Cocktail List in Australia 2008 and Bartender of the Year 2008, a fantastic haul of awards for a new venue in its first year of operations!

We now await the Australia Liquor Industry Awards in October where 1806 has been nominated for another three awards for Best New Bar, Cocktail Bar of the Year, and Bartender of the Year for Sebastian Reaburn.

1806 in Melbourne has just received their award for Best Cocktail List in the World!
A big thank you to Angus Whinchester, who kindly carried our award around the world and presented it too us shortly after Sebastian competed at this year's Sydney Barshow - Bartender of the Year competition.
Tales of the Cocktail is a “culinary and cocktail festival, (that) allows the connoisseur or amateur to fully experience (taste, see and learn about) cocktail culture.”

It is the most widely respected gathering of cocktail enthusiasts and aficionados in the world, where people like Gary Regan, Ted Haigh, Audrey Saunders and Simon Difford give education sessions, tastings and workshops. If there is a question you have about cocktails, any question, up to and including when washing machines were first used to mix party-sized serves of punch..? Then Tales of the Cocktail is where it will be answered.

Australia was well represented in the Awards with nominees for Best Drinks Selection (Der Raum, Richmond, Melbourne.) Best Brand Ambassador (Jason Crawly, Maxxium, Sydney) and of course, Best Cocktail List (Bayswater Brasserie, Sydney, and 1806, Melbourne).

The award ceremony was in New Orleans on Saturday 19th of July, or 2pm Sunday 20th Australian time. There to collect the award on behalf of the crew at 1806 was previous Australian Bartender Magazine editor Naren Young.

The award winning cocktail list follows an historical time line from 1806, the year the word cocktail was first defined in print, till today. There is at least one cocktail from every decade complete with the history behind the drink, including who created it, where, and why. For a delicious history lesson and some of the best drinks around, head down to 1806, 169 Exhibition St Melbourne, and toast Australia's victory!

http://www.talesofthecocktail.com

In case you missed it, check out Sebastian transcript from his awesome review of 1806, as seen on Channel 7's Coxy's Big Break on Saturday 31st May 2008 - for more info cut and paste the following link into your internet browser:
http://www.coxy.com.au/vic/bigbreak/?tourid=231&aid=1191

Alternatively, you can watch it by clicking the link below:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=57NS4dUICjg

A big thank you to all the people who supported World Cocktail Week in Melbourne.

The week and our launch evening were a huge success with people enjoying a selection of iconic drinks from the last two hundred years. Including the Bittered Sling from 1806, the Martinez from the 1870's, the Southside from Prohibition Chicago 1920's, the hugely argued over Mai Tai from 1940's Tiki era, and finished off with the incomparably dangerous and exciting Blue Blazer, a flaming piece of bar flair from the 1850's.

For the evening we set up a mini expo at 1806. On arrival we gave people the Bittered Sling, an icy mix of Remy Martin Cognac, bitters and sugar, served straight up 1800's style. There was a short presentation about what World Cocktail Week is about, the work that the Museum of the American Cocktail is doing, and a run down on what was happening for the night. Guests were then free to wander through three historical vignettes; 1870's New York, 1920's Prohibition and 1940's Tiki. At each mini station guests could sample one of the iconic beverages of that period. After an hour or so of casual wandering, sampling and asking questions, we closed the evening with a display and tasting of the Blue Blazer.

For the entire week of World Cocktail Week the celebration drinks were available over the bar at a reduced price and all customers were encouraged to donate to the Museum of the American Cocktail. We managed to raise a couple of hundred on the night which will go towards re-building the Museum headquarters in New Orleans.

For those who want to become members or donate, please go to www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org and get involved.

Special thanks go to The Museum of the American Cocktail, our sponsors Remy Martin, Cointreau, Wild Turkey, Appleton Estate, Hayman's Gin, South Gin, Jameson's, Pernod Ricard, and Monin Liqueurs. Thanks also go to Yakusan who helped co-ordinate the Australasian celebrations and of course ran the end of week party at Hugo's in Sydney.

http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org

A few photo's of the recently held Waiters and Bartenders Secret Ball

Drink like a Gentleman at 1806

http://www.1806.com.au/Whats%20On.html

Join us at Australia's sole historical cocktail bar, 1806, for the launch of World Cocktail Week (8th-13th May 2008)

Be entertained by 1806 bartender and cocktail historian Sebastian Reaburn, as you celebrate the rich and colourful history of the cocktail in an evening filled with tipples and tantalizing trivia.

Where: 1806 Cocktail Bar

169 Exhibition Street

When: Thursday 8th May, 2008

Time: 4.30pm sharp

Strictly RSVP by Monday 5th May to Seb@1806.com.au or call the bar on 03 9663 7722

World Cocktail Week is supported and promoted by the Museum of the American Cocktail, a not-for-profit museum and educational organsisation dedicated to promoting the responsible consumption of cocktails.

http://www.1806.com.au/Whats%20On.html

'Deconstructing Cocktails'
or
'How to Mix Great Drinks at Home - 1st Saturday of every month'

‘Deconstructing Cocktails’ is all about understanding what makes a cocktail a cocktail, how to create and serve the perfect Martini, and how to open up your liquor cabinet and make a great tasting cocktail from whatever you happen to find!

1806 takes ‘students’ through a series of different classic and modern cocktails to show how they are related. We break down the quintessential recipes and explore how each spirit can be matched to complimentary flavours.

‘Deconstructing Cocktails’ is a four hour practical session where ‘students’ will be required to make and drink a variety of cocktails. We run the sessions from 2pm till 6.30pm on Saturdays.

The classes are bookings only, they consist of less than twelve ‘students’, and require a $50 deposit before the day.

We serve alcohol responsibly, and recommend not driving to the session!

The classes cost $150.00 per head, and all students receive a certificate of completion and printed notes of all recipes and history.

The next session is on Saturday 10th January 2009.

http://www.1806.com.au/Whats%20On.html

Calling all waiters and bartenders to 1806, 169 Exhibition Street, Melbourne - Secret Ball.

Drink like a Gentleman at 1806 on Tuesday 12th February 2008, from 7.30pm

Cocktails 8pm-10pm

Moustache required for entry

Strictly RSVP: 0400 22 55 32 or drinks@1806.com.au

http://www.1806.com.au

The Mixology Management team, with Sebastian Reaburn firmly behind the bar, have opened their cocktail bar and training facility. 1806 is the year the word cocktail was first defined in print, and the bar, located at 169 Exhibition St, Melbourne, is all about cocktails. Especially the history of the amazing creations we sip every day.

The bar features a collection of vintage cocktail shakers and a cocktail list that includes at least one drink for every decade from 1806 to now. Whether an original Bittered Sling, the chosen drink of sophisticated business men in 1806, or an Aviation from 1917, the bar has a drink for everyone.

1806 has an informal ground floor bar, and a mezzanine featuring table service that is available for bookings on weekends. With a simple, but excellent, bar-food menu available right till close, 1806 is the perfect place to start your night with a cheeky aperitif, or finish it with a cheese platter and a single malt.  Or experiment with an historical approach to drinking and taste what your great, great, great, great, great, great grand-parents may have savored.

Our signature cocktail this month is the Rum Shrub. A shrub was an 1800’s way of preserving soft fruit,  like berries, that would not last without refrigeration. We crush raspberries and strawberries with a dash  of liqueur, sugar, and a measure of Appleton VX rum. Shaken and served in a classic champagne saucer;  it is the perfect spring cocktail, refreshing, intense and crisp. 

And…  If you have ever wanted to know more about cocktails, 1806 also run ‘cocktails at home’ classes where  you get an opportunity to train with bar experts like Sebastian Reaburn, learning what makes a cocktail a cocktail, the essential classic recipes and how to create them at home. Make a booking for one of our Saturday afternoon classes to get behind the bar and enjoy a tutored drinking session. Or plan a tailor made group get together with a difference (Great for corporate team building or the perfect start to a girls night out)

1806 is open from 5pm Monday to Friday and 7pm Saturday. We close around 3am during the week and at 5am on weekends.

Contact: 03 9663 7722, 169 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

http://www.1806.com.au

On the 4th of July 2007, to celebrate the launch of the new shaped bottle, Jack Daniels hosted the Gentleman Jack cocktail competition. Held at Murmur, Warburton Lane Melbourne, the competition required bartenders from around Melbourne to enter a cocktail direct to the boys at Jack. The Jack crew then went around the bars and clubs and tasted all the entries, a terrible job, but someone has to do it. From a list of nearly fifty, six finalists were selected to compete on the 4th of July: Chris Stock – Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets Ben Luzza – Madame Brussels Linus Shaxman – Platform 3 Stacy Field – 15 Melbourne Sebastian Reaburn – Mixology Management Luke Cameron – Murmur On the 4th of July 2007 these six bartenders, with a support crew of friends and whiskey lovers, gathered at Murmur. There were Gentleman Jack cocktails flowing, especially for the competitors; what better way to calm your nerves? After drinks had been flowing for a while the finalists were sent behind the bar, one at a time, to make their cocktail for the judges. From the final six finalists the three winners were: 3rd Luke Cameron, Murmur. 2nd Sebastian Reaburn – Mixology Management. First place, and $500 cash, Ben Luzza – Madame Brussels. Luke’s cocktail was a burnt orange whiskey sour, with the orange burnt on the bar in front of you and a second piece of still flaming orange was placed still burning on the top of the drink as a garnish. Sebastian made a modern twist on a 200yr old cocktail style called a Bittered Sling, based on how Jack Daniels himself used to drink his whiskey. Sebastian’s performance, complete with a 1930’s cocktail shaker and glasses, was a bit of a history lesson about Jack Daniels and what makes the twice mellowed Gentleman Jack so special. But the praise must go to Ben Luzza from Madame Brussels whose pear and whiskey cocktail was the winner. Made with fresh pear juice, for which he brought in a juicer and juiced pears on the bar before the judges, and garnished with muscatel grapes. The variety of the drinks of course proves that Gentleman Jack is a versatile spirit that is compatible with any flavour, but more than that, it proves that Melbourne’s bartenders are able to rise to any challenge and consistently create cocktails that would be at home anywhere around the world. Congratulations go to the people at Brown Forman who made it happen, Murmur for hosting the night, and finally the judges who had the tricky job of picking a winner from six excellent cocktails.

I was lucky enough to be a guest at one of the recent Vue de Monde cocktail and food matching evenings at Cafe Vue. For those who haven't heard, these evenings are held on Fridays at the Cafe Vue, cost about $80 a head, and focus on all the different characteristics of one spirit brand at a time. Generally each brand will run for four to six weeks, then change.

The food and drinks are a collaboration between Vue de Monde and Melbourne's own Shae Silvestro. They create a menu of five cocktails matched to five tidbits of Vue de Monde cuisine. The most recent evening was an extravagance of flavours featuring the newly released Hendricks Gin.

Menu:

Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Relish 'Sandwiches' Cucumber Fizz

Crab Linguine with Warm Avocado 'Very Unusual' Pink Gin

Crispy School Prawns with Salt and Vinegar Jelly Winter Berry Swizzle

Meat Pie (The Vue Way) with Tomato Ketchup Red Snapper

Spanish Donuts with Chocolate Dipping Sauce and Botanical Spices High Tea

For the me the highlight was the final drink, the High Tea, which was a twist on a classic Alexander. Hendricks Gin with sweetened spiced cream, and Shae would not tell me what it was spiced with. This was shaken with Gabriel Boudier Creme de Cacao then topped with an incredibly subtle rose water air made with Gabriel Boudier Rose Liqueur, rose water, a touch of gin, and lecithin. A desert spoon of the air, floated on top of the drink, lent the otherwise heavy and winter style cream cocktail a gentle floral lift which made the drink refreshing as well as rich. This was the highlight of the spread for myself and the other three people I was dining with.

The High Tea was matched with the desert classic, churos with chocolate sauce. What made it match the gin, and the location, was the botanical dust. Served so that you would dip the donut into the chocolate and then the dust, it consisted of at least pepper, nutmeg, paprika, cardamom and definitely a few other tasty spices. It matched the gin perfectly and lent complexity to the desert. It also brought out the flavours in the spiced cream and made the whole experience just that bit more complex and a satisfying.

Other highlights from a creative point of view were the Red Snapper; chilled gin with tomato water ice cubes, slowly melting to mix into the gin. A stunning concept, but the ice cubes were a touch salty, loosing some of the fresh sweetness we expect from a good tomato juice. This was perfectly matched with the Vue style pork pie, with house made ketchup and an aloe and pear puree, stunning.

The aperitif cucumber fizz was crisp clean and very fresh. The salmon polenta 'sandwiches' were excellent, except the beautiful cucumber relish kept slipping off...or maybe it was the gin kicking in?

The second course, spoons of Crab Linguine and warm avocado reduction, was matched with the 'Pink Gin'. Hendricks Gin, Angostura bitters, a touch of the rose Boudier all topped with a watermelon Zanthum foam. This was then spritzed with rose water just before serving. The gin mix was delicious, but as I really don't care for watermelon, the foam was a bit lost on me. The others on my table enjoyed it immensely however.

The middle drink, the only one not yet mentioned, was a return to the classic style of drink that made gin famous in the first place. The Winter Berry Swizzle, fresh berries, a touch of Gabriel Boudier berry liqueur, fresh lemon, all heaped with Hendricks Gin and swizzled at the bar with frozen ice till it was very, very cold. Simple, classic and perfectly presented in porcelain cups to insulate the liquid from the heat of you hand. And your hand from the cold of the drink! The ice hardly melted by the time I had finished mine, a sure sign of the insulating capacity of the goblet, rather than my thirst. This tart swizzle was matched with crispy pan fried prawns, crunchy and delicious, all generously covered with slivers of salt and vinegar jelly. The jelly was a bit challenging at first, mostly because it looked like shards of glass. However, once you got it into your mouth, it was delicious, and soft, just like a jelly.

Overall a stunning menu, a fantastic exploration of the flavours of Hendricks and really good value to boot! If you want to get in and taste one of these exceptional cocktail evenings call 03 9691 3888 and ask for the cocktail and food matching evening. Bookings are essential and the current brand on offer is Ardbeg.

http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/the-restaurant_specialevents-detail.aspx?view=8

Up for grabs is a first edition of Trader Vic's 1946 classic on food and drink as he sees it.

To win all you need to do is post a message in the competitors posts section, relating to Tiki, rum or rum ideas, after the 1st of July.
At the end of three months, the post with the largest number of replies, not including your own, will be declared the winner.

First published in 1946, this book is a guide to drinking and eating with the attitude of the Carribean. Far more important for Vic is the attitude to the drinks and dishes, than true authenticity. The cocktails are not what we would usually call Tiki nowadays, they are booze heavy, juice shy, and feature more rums than fruit. It contains original recipes for the Zombie, Fog Cutter, numerous rum punches, but not the Mai Tai.

It is 272 pages of really well written rum recipes, history, anecdotes, attitude and best of all, inspirational ideas about creating Island attitude at home.

The fine print...the book is 61 years old, and has been well read over the years, there is a tiny bit of red pen on the first inside flyleaf, the dust jacket has been lost at sea, there are a few rum stains on the cover, the edges have been slightly nawed by sharks, but all the pages inside are in excellent condition except for a few tiny drops of pirate blood on pages 94 and 95 that do not obscure any of the text in any way. What I am saying by this is that the real value is in the reading, not re-selling the book. It is probably worth about $50 at an antique book store, on a good day. But it is a remarkable read and a must have for any rum or Tiki fan. A piece of history before Tiki was subverted in the 50's and became the sickly sweet buckets of juice you sometimes see described as a Mai Thai... and best of all, it starts with the entire lyrics for Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

Good luck, get posting and get your friends to reply!

On Wednesday 17th of January I was lucky enough to get a seat for the Finlandia Finishing School featuring Dale Degroff and Tony Abou-Ganim.

Held on the salubrious Prince of Wales Deck in St Kilda we were greated with fresh berry Caiprioskas. Made with Finlandia of course.
About 80 bartenders were gathered to hear what the "King of Cocktails" had to say.

The format for the session was an intro about cocktails, a bit of vodka tasting and history and then a mixology session where Dale and Tony would show off some drinks.

Dale DeGroff began with a talk about where cocktails came from, the importance of the industrial revolution and affordable ice. He described some of the drinks being drunk in the heyday of cocktails from 1890 to 1912. Then he talked about the coming of Prohibition. By 1912 huge chunks of America were "dry", so even though it took another seven years or so for the great experiment to begin nationally, there was already a decline in quality and availability of spirits. With the coming of Prohibition many things occured. There are all the obvious things like lack of product, bath tub gin, etc, but for Dale DeGroff the worste thing that happened during prohibition was that the nobel art of bartending became illegal.

It is only in the last fifteen to twenty years that bartending is once again beginning to take a respectable place in society. One hundred years ago, to be a bartender was to be a hugely respected person, both for your skills and knowledge, but also as a community leader with their finger on the pulse of political and economic movements.

After the introduction of Prohibition most of the best bartenders left America. When Prohibition was reappealed, the damage was already done, there were no trained staff to fill the void. Dale DeGroff explained that in America this lead to shortcuts. The new wave of bartending in the 50's in America was created by lack of skill, the search for faster, easier and cheaper ways to do things, and the new industry of preserving food with science. Innovations in canning and drying ment that fruit that would once have been fresh was relegated to preserved or dried alternatives. We still see this today with the commercially available sour mix powders, just add water.

Dale talked about Australia's luck at having missed most of this terrible swing away from fresh produce. He also talked about his time at the Rainbow room, about how it was the first cocktail list in New York for 25 years.

Dale then handed over to Tony to discuss how to make these ideas about freshness practicle for a large bar. Tony Abou-Ganim is the executive mixologist for the Belagio Casino group, controlling heaps of bars and literally hundreds of thousands of cocktails a month. With that sort of turnover, and that sort of price for a drink, (everything in Vegas is expensive), it is essential that the cocktails be fast and taste great.

Tony talked about bartenders being more like chefs. Not just looking to food for great flavour matches, but looking at the way a kitchen is able to prepare numerous dishes, fast, effectively, and with minimal waiting. He talked about the need for preparation, with Dale giving a couple of examples from his days at the Rainbow room.

Tony and Dale then lead the session into a vodka tasting. We tasted six vodkas, Stolichnya, Absolut, Skyy, Grey Goose, 42 Below, and of course Finlandia. Other than obviously being fans of the flavour profile of Finlandia, neither Dale nor Tony did much obvious marketing. They let the vodka speak for itself, along with a quick history lesson on where vodka came from and why it is so popular.

The assembled bartenders then had to guess the six vodkas and write them down for testing. During a quick break, with more cocktails, the excellent Brown-Forman staff collated the results. 1 person got all six, Nick from Mink Bar, and five, myself included, got four.

Dale and Tony then took us through some drinks that are listed below and talked techniques. Most were pretty standard to the Australian crowed, but Dales use of a Julep strainer to double strain fibres from a muddled drink was a new one. It is faster than a tea strainer and removes a lot of the messy excess. Still not as clean as a tea strainer, but for the massive increase in speed, I think it is something that we will see a lot more of.

Finally Dale discussed his disapointment with bartenders and their tools. He questioned why a chef would always have their own knives, that no-one but they were allowed to use, but a bartender will use any old thing lying around the bar! He also damned the plastic garnish rack as too small, awkward and a hindrance to any good bar. He talked about the idea of chilled garnishes for chilled drinks, finishing with a classic line: "when you have stirred cold vodka over cold ice in a cold glass, then strained it into a cold cocktail glass, why would you drop in a couple of heat bombs? Why aren't the olives chilled?"

Tony talked about the idea of "destination cocktails", where the quality of drinks bring people to the bar, and keep them coming back. He highlighted this with a tale of terrible Mojitos as an example of how to loose your customers! He told us that drink lists need only be 12-15 cocktails, that they should be seasonal and use as much fresh produce as possible, all pre-prepped!

Finally Dale DeGroff finished with some general comments about bartending. He told us all to put on a show, to flame an orange on a drink, to make it look good. He also talked about being in charge of the bar, and everyone in it. He told us to be aware of everything in our domaine, and that if we don't like people, we probably belong in the kitchen.

At the end was the shortest question time ever, having run nearly an hour over time already. Someone asked what Dale and Tony's favourite drinks were: Tony loves a good Negroni with a touch more Campari than Vermouth, and Dale will look to see what the bartender is making, and how they look behind the bar. If they look good then he will try a few classics like the Sazerac.

A huge thanks must go to Brown-Forman and the wonderful people at Finlandia Vodka for bringing New York's king of cocktails, and Las Vegas's foremost mixologist to Australia. The roadshow began in Sydney and the boys were off to Brisbane that night to continue bringing the message to bartenders all the way accross the eastern sea board. Well done guys.

Anyone who wants to get their hands on some Finlandia vodka can call Brown-Forman on 02 9764 8777 or www.finlandia.com

Rum Club Meeting Monday 12th February
For Lovers Of Rum
7pm @ Golden Monkey

389 corner of Hardware Lane Lonsdale Street
ph 03 6022055

This months selection: Venezulan Rum and Rum production

The Spring Racing Carnival was the theme for the Woodford Reserve Cocktail Competition held on Sunday 29th October 2006 at The Undertaker in Hawthorn, Melbourne.

With guests enjoying Mint Juleps on arrival, the Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve Chris Morris announced via video the final eight in the running to win the competition.

Mick Formosa (Ginger) was the master of ceremonies for the evening. He began by demonstrating the original method of making a Mint Julep using an authentic Kentucky Durbin mug.

The judging panel was made up of Michael Morden (Brown Forman’s State Manager), Liam Anderson (Wild Duck Creek Estate Winery), Ian Gilbert (Deputy Editor The Age’s ‘M’ Magazine) and John Parker, (Director of Drinktrader and Bar Manager of 15 Melbourne)

The quality of the drinks, both with the use of ingredients, originality and past history showed that this was a very strong finalist group.
The finalists included;
Jason Chan (Batch), Jason Williams (Ginger), Ian Baldwin (The Mill), Craig Williams (Golden Monkey), Tim Phillips (Black Pearl), Yoshi Kuroshawa (Robot), Matt Barnett (Botanical) and Matt Herron (Longrain) who was a late scratching.

In third place came Craig Williams (Golden Monkey) with his adaptation of a classic Blue Blazer with accompanying cigar. Second place went to Jason Williams (Ginger) with his interpretation of a Sazerac and first prize went to Ian Baldwin (The Mill). In Ian’s presentation he spoke about the medicinal qualities of the ingredients used in the cocktail and how they enhanced the flavour of the Woodford Reserve.

Check out Ian Baldwin’s Winning Cocktail Recipe:

http://www.mixologymanagement.com/cocktails/view_page.php?cocktail_id=73

Gabriel Boudier, a French company famous for their liqueurs, has launched a Saffron Gin in Australia.

The Gin is only available in tiny quantities and is being stocked by Movida (first pour), Lily Black's, Batch, The Gin Palace, of course, and Tazio. Also Nonna Casalinga have managed to aquire some that they are using in their cooking.

The taste profile is quite interesting, with juniper and citrus dominating. The Saffron comes out in the after taste, with earthy hints and a density of length unlike any other gin I have tasted. Other than that it is quite classical in style, with lots of citrus and that saffron finish binding everything together.

The Saffron Gin is only available through Domaine Wine Shippers, 03 9878 7848. Unfortunately the current shippment has already been totally allocated, so no other bars will be able to get any until the next shipment arrives in about a month. Perfect Christmas gift?

Gabriel Boudier also do a fabulous Sloe Gin that is much more readily available.

The CBD is alive with new bars and old favourites: Melbourne venues takeout top honours at the 6th annual bar awards

Much-loved Melbourne bar Cookie and the jewel at the end of Duckboard Lane Honkytonks are among the winners of the 6th annual bar awards announced last night in Sydney.

Cookie won Bar of the Year, an accolade it first collected in 2004, beating many Sydney venues and others from around the country. The busy Swanston St bar has something for everyone and is a favourite among Melburnians and visitors alike.

Honkytonks was awarded Nightclub of the Year, a great swansong for one of Melbourne’s best night spots as it makes plans to close after this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. An Australian club destination, Honkytonks has been recognised at each annual bar awards since their inception in 2001, either by winning the category or receiving honourable mentions. The club will be redeveloped into office space next year.

“This year saw more than 2,500 nominations from across Australia, a clear sign the industry is thriving with creative, professionals ever perfecting the service and atmosphere for their guests,” said David Spanton, founder of the annual bar awards and industry title Australian Bartender magazine.

With more than 200 bars in the CBD alone, it’s hard for a new bar to get noticed. Recent arrival Golden Monkey managed to catch the right attention, winning New Bar of the Year. The Oriental-themed bar lies off popular restaurant strip Hardware Lane.

Cocktail bar Ginger on Brunswick St Fitzroy also cleaned up two awards last night: Bar Team of the Year and Bar Operator of the Year for owners Alexandra Ross and her mum Deb Paez.

Acqua e vino bartender Tim Wastell came third place in Bartender of the Year, the award going to Oliver Stuart of Sydney’s Flying Fish.

Sydney’s Gazebo Wine Garden located in Kings Cross surprisingly stole Melbourne’s wine bar crown this year, taking out Wine Bar of the Year. Melbourne Supper Club and the Money Order Office (both in Melbourne CBD) are previous winners.

Sydney’s cocktail culture was well recognised, with Cocktail Bar of the Year and Cocktail List of the Year well earned by Lotus (Potts Point, Sydney) and Zeta Bar (Hilton Hotel, Sydney) respectively.

Presented during ‘bar week’ in Sydney, more than 700 industry people plus international guests gathered at the 6th annual bar awards Gala Dinner at Hilton Hotel last night. New York’s King Cocktail, Dale DeGroff (the man behind the Cosmopolitan) and the UK’s drinks missionary, Jonathan Downey (ranked on UK GQ’s Power List for his influence on the country’s drinks culture) presented awards during ceremony.

Full list of winners where:

Bar of the Year Cookie, Melbourne

New Bar of the Year Golden Monkey, Melbourne

Bar Team of the Year Ginger, Melbourne

Nightclub of the Year Honkytonks, Melbourne

Cocktail Bar of the Year Lotus, Sydney

Cocktail List of the Year Zeta Bar, Sydney

Hotel of the Year The Brisbane Hotel, Perth

New Hotel of the Year The Dolphin Hotel, Sydney

Wine Bar of the Year Gazebo Wine Garden, Sydney

Best New Venue Design De Nom, Sydney

Best Drinks Selection The Bayswater Brasserie, Sydney

Bar Manager of the Year Mike Enright, Zeta, Sydney

Registered Club of the Year Cabana Bar and Lounge, Sydney

Bar Operator of the Year Merivale Group, Sydney

Bar Operator of the Year Alexandra Ross & Deb Paez from Ginger,Melbourne

Best Music Offering Family, Brisbane

Best Bar Food Lychee Lounge, Brisbane

New Nightclub of the Year Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane

Best Specialty Beer Venue The Australian Heritage Hotel, Sydney

Click on the below link and let us know your feedback!

http://www.mixologymanagement.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=13

Inner circle were generous enough to pop down to Melbourne for the Rum Club last week. Stuart Gilbert, the man responsible for resurecting Inner Circle, came to Melbourne to tell us all about it. Firstly, he had drunk the stuff for years while it was being made by CSR, and loved it. After Bunderberg bought it and took it off the market he slowly drank all of his stockpile and one day decided, stuff it, I am going to try and re-make this. He managed to buy the trade mark as it had not been used for fifteen years. Unfortunately Bundy had forgotten that a trade mark has to be used to keep its validity.

Then Stuart tracked down Malcolm Campbell, the last master distiller at Inner Circle before it was closed.

When Stuart phoned him Malcolm said that he had been waiting for this phone call for fifteen years and still had the live yeast from the original distillery! He also had a lot of the old equipment, including the original still that they are currently re-building.

Production began in Fiji, working with some distillers there to re-create the magical flavour of Inner Circle. In 2002 the Rum won best rum in the world at the London Wine and Spirits Fair. Not bad for an Aussie battler!

Since then Stuart has purchased the old Beenleigh Distillery in Queensland and production has moved, but we won't see the Aussie made stuff until late 2007. Rumour has it, it is even better!

Well,we have just had our latest Bar Show in Sydney, and the first one that I have missed! So apologies to Amy and David from Bartender Magazine.


I was pretty happy to hear that Seven Tiki won the best small stand award, not bad for a product that hasn't even been properly released yet!

I have been given a few notes by Jacob Briars, the Vodka Professor, but as he was working for most of the show I think he missed a lot of it...

So, over to you guys...what was good at Bar Show Sydney? How was Dale's talk as inspiring as some people have said? How was the dinner and the bar awards? Who won something they shouldn't have, and who really deserved the win?

Click on the below link and let me know what I missed!

http://www.mixologymanagement.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=13

The 6th annual bar awards have grown in 2006 with the addition of the four new categories, including Best Specialty Beer Venue and Best Bar Food Selection. The bar awards were the first awards ceremony to recognize the achievements of the bar industry. This year they will again be presented at a gala dinner at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel, with the evening attended by more than 700 leading industry identities from around Australia.

Venue: Hilton Hotel Ballroom

Date: 19th September

Time: 6:30pm till late

Cost: $220 per person or $2200 per table

See www.barshow.com.au for further information

Launched by Spanton Media Group (the team behind Australian Bartender & Industry magazines), these three trade-only events are the most important dates of the year for serious industry professionals.

First held in 2002, Sydney BarShow is once again the key date for the Australian bar industry. Following from the success of the first Melbourne BarShow in May this year, the number and quality of exhibitors has increased.

Speakers already confirmed include:

• Direct from NYC, Dale DeGroff - World renowned cocktail and spirits expert



• Julio Bermejo – Tequila Ambassador



• Wayne Collins – Maxxium Mixologist


NEW for 2006 – The Sydney BarShow Golf Day at Moore Park Golf Course email niccola@spanton.com.au for further information

Venue: Wharf 8. King Street Wharf

Date: 19 & 20 September

Time: 10:30am to 5:00pm

Cost: Pre-registered: $25, At Show: $40.

See www.barshow.com.au for further information

Held on the day before the Sydney BarShow exhibition, September 18 this innovative event will bring together a host of highly respected international and local guest speakers to share their diverse business experience.

Speakers include:

• Direct from the UK, Jonathan Downey - The UK’s leading style bar operator



• Bruce Highfield - Head honcho of staffing at Virgin Blue



• David Fell - Managing Director of British American Tobacco Australasia



• Michael McCann - Principal of Dreamtime Australia Design, one of Australia’s leading interior design studios



• Direct from NYC, Dale DeGroff - World renowned cocktail and spirits expert


+ many more professional public speakers and topics including HR, liquor licensing, tobacco, design and trends.

“The BarShow events in Sydney and Melbourne have been great platforms for educating bar industry professionals. The Sydney BarShow Conference now provides a business-focused forum for managers and owners to gain insights from the world’s leading operators and leaders in other fields,” said David Spanton, Managing Director Spanton Media Group.

Downey, best known for his portfolio of six London cocktail bars, also owns a successful publishing company, a hotel in the French Alps and drinks brand The Proof Beer Company. Addressing the conference on building successful bar groups, Downey’s presence gives delegates a rare opportunity to interact with one of the best in the business. The Sydney BarShow Conference is Downey’s first and only Australian speaking appearance.

“With the addition of the Conference this year, there’s a clear feeling that Australia has stepped up to be among the global best in drinks and bars. The fact we’re attracting the highest calibre of speakers is a testament to this,” added Spanton.

Venue: Dockside Conference Centre, Darling Harbour

Date: 18 September

Time: 9.30am to 5:00pm

Cost: $595 (+GST) Early Bird rate

$695 (+GST) Standard rate (after July 28)

See www.barshow.com.au for further information

On the 4th of July, American Independence Day, Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniel's hosted one of the best whiskey tastings Melbourne has seen.

Our host for the day was master distiller Chris Morris, who oversees the production of Woodford Rederve, Jack Daniel's and Brown Forman bourbons.

Chris Morris took us through the history and production of Bourbon. Anyone who needs to get copies of the notes should contact their local Brown Forman (formerly Swift and Moore) Rep. There is so much to discuss in the production and history that it simply won't fit here.

So the highlights: We tasted 9 Whiskeys, from Jack Daniels "White Dog", which is the unaged distillate, through the whole range of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve and Gentleman Jack. We then tasted these against some other major brands, Makers Mark, Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Bookers Small Batch.
An awesome range of whiskey that showed that Woodford really does deserve the three (I repeat, THREE!) double golds that it has won at the World Spirits Competition. Just so you know this is one of the top two or three spirit awards in the world.

Propably the most interesting part of the whole session was the description of how Woodford Reserve came to exist. Although the site and the distillery have a long heritage (dating back to 1812), it was really created as we know it in the last twenty years. From the still to the bottle, Woodford has been crafted with one goal, make the best possible whisky. To achive this Brown Forman have done some pretty expensive stuff. Not only did they restore the original Woodford distillery, they even heat the barrel stores in winter to get a different and possibly better age character. It is worth checking out their web site at:
http://www.woodfordreserve.com/home.asp

Chris Morris lead the tasting very well, a little biased towards his own brand, but that is easily excused as the pride of a father rather than marketing. And for a lucky few, there were drinks later at the Botanical where Chris made his favourite drink, the Mint Julep. As a nice Melbourne highlight, Mick Formosa from Ginger brought along his own sterling silver Julep mug. The master made the first Julep for Mick in a genuine Julep mug. He also explained that the drink is designed to be drunk through a straw, and not stirred. The crushed mint and sugar should sit at the bottom below the crushed ice and bourbon. The whiskey should then be sucked up through the mint and sugar. Chris Morris belives that the straw was invented especially for this drink. This is born out by my research that found that the first straw was made by Marvin Stone, while drinking a Julep, and was made by winding paper round a pencil and then gluing it. He pantented his straws in 1888. Before that Julep drinkers would use a rye grass stem, which would often break.

Thanks go to Brown Forman, especially Jeremy, for a pretty unbiased tasting session, for getting Chris Morris, whose passion and knowledge is phenomenal, and generally putting together a great session. For those of you who missed it, the tasting notes are available from your local rep, but it just isn't the same as being there.

So...Mixology Management is holding a bourbon tasting of our own. Not with any distinguished guests, but hopefully with some distinguished whiskies. The session will be at Ginger in Melbourne, it will fit 40 people, it will be held on the 15th of August, and you need to email now to reserve a place!
sebastian@mixologymanagement.com
See you there.

Well, here are the notes on the third session of the Melbourne chapter of the International Rum Club. Please excuse the fact that these notes are a bit long, but I hope that there is enough content so that those of you who could not be there can get most of the information discussed.

The session was held on Monday the 3rd of July at Batch Espresso Bar, 372 Carlisle St, Balaclava, Melbourne. Tom Soden was leading the discussion, and Appleton Estate had kindly organised a tasting of their rums and some of the unblended spirits that go into producing Appleton Estate.

Tom began with a brief talk about Appleton Estate. Appleton are an estate rum that grow, process, ferment and distil all their own sugar cane. So their rums are estate owned and managed from cane to sip. The Master distiller and blender is Joy Spence, the first female master distiller. Her celebrated palate is something of a legend; after a night on Wray and Nephew mojitos at a prominant London restaurant. When served her third, she called the waiter back and asked if this mojito was from a new bottle, and could he check please. The waiter asked the bartender, who admitted that he had just popped a new bottle of Wray and Nephew for that round. Joy Spence then topped that feat of tasting by commenting that the other bottle had been open for about three months. The bartender confirmed that it was about three months since the first bottle had been opened. What a palate!

Back to Appleton. The rums as we know them today were created just after World War II. The market at the time was calling for more and more whisk(e)y, and there was some shortage in supply in the confusion following the war. Appleton decided to craft a rum around the techniques used in the production of blended whisky, and in a style that was more closely alligned with the dry complexity of scotch, than the sweet, rich classical Jamaican rum style. The rums that we see from Appleton are multi aged, blended rums, made exclusively at Appleton, from Appletons cane. They blend different aged pot and collumn distillates to create a complex and largely smooth rum, which I will talk about in the tasting. The entry level Appleton VX is a blend of five to ten year old pot and collumn distillates, much like a premium Jonnie Walker Scotch.

For the tasting Appleton kindly supplied 6 Rums. 1. Unaged Collumn Distillate from Appleton Estate. 2. Unaged Pot Distillate from Appleton Estate. 3. Aged Collumn Distillate from Appleton Estate. 4. Aged Pot Distillate from Appleton Estate. 5. Appleton Estate VX Jamaica Rum 6. Appleton Extra (8-12yr Old) Jamaica Rum

Tasting Notes: 1. Unaged Collumn Distillate from Appleton Estate:
Very clean, hot nose and palate. Very savoury with a hint of sweetness. Traces of Rockmelon. Generally round, smooth and hot.
2. Unaged Pot Distillate from Appleton Estate:
Sweet and slightly rotten fruit on the nose, sweet grass and sugar. The palate is much drier, smooth coffee finish, lots of sweet dry grass. Sweeter, hotter, with more tang, but a touch thin.
3. Aged Collumn Distillate from Appleton Estate:
Smooth, fuller, oaky nose, hot, longer and drier. The palate is rounder but hotter, more coffee and a much longer finish. (After a bit of debate he decided that the aged collumn was bottled at a higher abv than the unaged. After some playing around shaking the two we decied that this was the case. Appleton had not labled the sample.)
4. Aged Pot Distillate from Appleton Estate:
Hot vegetables, sour fruit, more acetone and hot butter. The palate has coffee, acetone and butter, a hint of vanilla and fudge, very agressive and hot.
5. Appleton Estate VX Jamaica Rum:
Nose is dry grassy sweetness, dry corn, savoury toffee and fudge, a hint of marzipan and quite a bit of wood. The palate is soft toffee, butter, hints of tropical fruit, smooth long coffee finish. Really very much better than the single distillates.
6. Appleton Extra (8-12yr Old) Jamaica Rum:
Sultanas, dark chocolate, heavy, super dry, full but with a touch more acetone. The palate is long christmas cake sweetness, charcoal hot toast finish, bitter coffee, even a bit of chocolate eclair. Very dry on the palate, all the sweet flavours cleaned up with a hot crisp bitter finish. Still very long. A really well put together rum and a significant step up from the VX.

Discussion then turned to what was coming up in the club, with Jeremy explaining that Inner Circle were delayed so would be presenting in two months rather than next month and called for suggestions for the next tasting. After a lot of discussion it became clear that a category style tasting across several brands was necessary. Next month is still to be confirmed, but we hope to taste five or six white rums against each other and try to get a clear idea of what they are each best for.
Stay tuned for details on the next sessions time and venue!